written by Sifu Joan Browne (disciple of Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit).
Do you know that over 250,000 people in Ireland suffer from depression? One in twenty workers suffer from depression. It can affect anybody at any age. It disrupts family and social life with an estimated annual cost of depression to Ireland over 280 million and 170 million lost time from work.
What is a depressive illness and what/who can help?
A depressive illness is an overwhelming feeling which dulls thinking, mood and concentration, saps energy and interest in food, sex, work and everyday activities and disrupts sleep. It is not just the 'Monday morning blues', or being 'fed up'. Without treatment it can last for months, years or forever.
It seems amazing that although Western societies have good governments, job security, individual freedom and high quality of living, depression is prevalent. On the other hand, many people in the East worry about when and where their next meal will come from and whether they may be locked up by secret police at night, yet depression is less prevalent than in the West.
Such a situation is illogical when viewed from conventional Western wisdom. It just could not make sense that people become depressed when they are comfortable and safe. But if we understand Chi Kung philosophy, the situation becomes clear.
From the Chinese Medical perspective, every person is made up of three components, namely jin (physical form), qi(chi) (energy), and shen (spirit). A person becomes depressed when his spirit is weak and when negative emotion is locked in an organ e.g the lungs. For the past few hundred years, western culture has ignored the spirit. Both western science and western medicine do not recognize that the spirit exists.
Hence when a depressed person, i.e a person whose spirit has been pressed down
through neglect, grief, under-nourishment and other factors, consults western doctors (including psychiatrists), they only look at the physical body of the patient. They may find physical symptoms, which are the physical manifestation of a depressed spirit, and prescribe drugs to correct the body chemistry of the patient, but such treatment only relieve the symptoms temporarily and may have other long- reaching side effects.
Originally psychology was the study of the psyche or spirit, but western psychology, in its attempt to be an objective science, has deviated from the psyche to physical brain functions and physical behaviour. Hence, like conventional doctors, lacking the conceptual framework to understand the spirit, western psychologists only address the symptoms of depression.
Chi kung addresses the root cause of the patient's disorder, not only uplifting his spirit but also correcting his energetic and physical defects which eventually result due to his spirit being pressed down. The energy level of a depressed person is low, and negative emotions are locked in his lung system.
Shaolin Chi kung overcomes these problems in a most simple, direct and effective manner by using certain chi kung patterns, breathing, mind focus and the once secretive induced chi flow to enhance energy flow, increase energy levels, uplift the spirit and release locked emotions.
Once a person has overcome the root cause and restored normal function -- spiritually, energetically besides physically -- the illness and its accompanying symptoms will disappear.
Many of my students have already overcome their depression and other emotional problems by practising what I have taught them. It is certainly an option worth considering. The Shaolin Wahnam Institute worldwide offer satisfaction guaranteed courses. If after attending the complete course, you feel that you havent benefitted, you will be refunded your full fee. If you prefer to try more conventional sources then the following may be of help.
Where to get help:
Your GP, Psychiatrist, Mental Health Professionals, Psychiatric clinics and hospitals.
written by Sifu Joan Browne (disciple of Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit)
Sole Authorised Instructor in IrelandThere are sound principles in Chinese medical philosophy to explain how and why chi kung and other branches of Chinese medicine can cure illness. This claim is not based on just a few cases, but on thousands of people who have overcome incurable illness by practising high level Chi Kung, especially cancer, depression, arthritis, ME, MS, back problems, ulcers, heart problems and insomnia. Chi or energy is the basic consideration in the diagnosis, pathology, therapeutics and other aspects of all branches of Chinese medicine, including herbalism, acupuncture, massage therapy and physiotherapy. It is in Chi Kung that chi is employed most directly.
How does Chinese medical philosophy explain the curing of incurable diseases by practising chi kung?
Interestingly, the complex problems concerning the wide range of these diseases that have long puzzled Western medical thinking, can be neatly summarised into two basic principles in Chi Kung namely harmonising yin-yang and cleansing meridians.
Yin and Yang are merely convenient symbols to represent two opposing yet complementary aspects in medicine and in all other fields. The significance and manifestations of yin and yang may sometimes be profound and numerous, but in their simplest form, yin and yang refer to the concept of two opposing yet complimentary aspects of reality, irrespective of whether the reality is expressed as objects or ideas.
In anatomy and physiology, yin is used to represent the structural composition of mans organs and yang their respective functions. Yin-Yang disharmony occurs if, for example, an organ fails to function properly, though its structure may still be intact. For example, If you suffer from gastric pain because your stomach produces too much gastric juice, then the cause of your illness is described as excessive yang. On the other hand, your stomach may function normally, but if you take too much food or food that is too rich, you may become ill, and this is described as excessive yin. In all cases, health can be restored when we restore the harmony of yin-yang.
The malfunction of the stomach in the example above is due to blocked meridians; the logical treatment is to cleanse the meridians to restore the stomach function.
But what causes blocked meridians? Blockage does not necessarily mean that no chi passes through, in which case the patient may die, but means the chi flow is interrupted. Injury, wrong food, inefficient waste disposal or stress may cause chi blockage. A physical blow to a meridian, such as the famous death touch technique of Shaolin Kungfu, may block its chi flow. Some foods, such as salted vegetables and sour mangoes, may produce gases that affect chi passage. If the toxic waste of our metabolic processes is not disposed of efficiently it may block meridians.
But by far, the most serious contributing factor is excessive stress, which produces negative energy and causes chi blockage. Excessive worrying directly affects the spleen and the stomach meridian systems, and it may also cause problems elsewhere because every part of our body is intricately connected by meridians. For example, because the spleen meridian flows into the heart meridian, blockage in the spleen meridian will also weaken the heart.
When we practice chi kung, we stimulate better chi flow. As we take in good cosmic energy to increase our amount of chi, we enhance our chi flow, which can push through blockages. This is known as breakthrough in chi kung terminology. The negative, stale chi that blocked the meridians is gradually dispelled out of the body through breathing out, diffusion through the skin, sweating and in other ways. This is known as dispelling stale chi and taking in fresh chi
As chi circulation is enhanced throughout the body, blockages at other places are also cleared. Hence, enhanced chi flow to cure the stomach pain can also cure other diseases. This is the holistic aspect of chi kung. If the practitioner continues his chi kung practice, he will not only keep his organs in tip-top condition but also prevent illness from developing in the future.
Joan Browne is an instructor of Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung and Senior student of Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit. www.shaolinwahnamireland.com
Would you travel 14,000 miles for a cure for Chronic Back pain?
Article Published in Ireland's Issues and Kerry's Eye newspaper
This is what Kerrywoman Joan Browne did, following six years of constant crippling back and neck pain. She travelled to Malaysia to Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, after reading his book 'Chi Kung for Health and Vitality'.
"I had tried most forms of conventional and alternative therapies, but was only getting relief for a day or two at most." Says Joan. "I couldn't return to work as a Nurse and felt very depressed and dejected, constant pain just wears you down." A MRI scan showed two fused discs in her neck and four protruding discs in her upper back. Surgery was ruled out because of the danger of ending up as a quadriplegic.
Joan then started reading self-healing books and when she happened to read Master Wong's book, his knowledge and experience really impressed her, within 2 months she was in Malaysia funded by a credit union loan. "Master Wong or Sifu as his students call him is a lovely man, exuding health and vitality himself. He is always smiling and very approachable." She says.
He teaches Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung, the oldest of the Traditional Chinese therapies and his teaching has descended directly from the Shaolin Temple in China. It was kept a secret by the Chinese until the mid 1980's and was previously only taught to the elite and Imperials of China. It includes relaxation, Chi Kung patterns, breathing techniques and mind focus. It also includes induced or spontaneous Chi Flow where the body sways gently when the energy starts to flow and clears blockages or stagnant areas of chi. It is excellent for many chronic illnesses, e.g. migraine, asthma, arthritis, cancer, back pain, diabetes, M.E. M.S. depression, anxiety, sports injuries etc. In 1997, Master Wong was awarded ' Chi Kung Master of the Year' for his work with cancer patients by scientists and doctors in America and has written many best selling books on Chi Kung, Kung fu, Zen and the Shaolin Arts.
Following eight months of practise Joan was completely pain free. "The pain relief gradually extended, from a day to a week to a month, there were some bad days as the Chi was clearing blockages, but I immediately gave up the pain killers and anti inflammatories. It took eight months of constant enjoyable practise and I haven't looked back since" says Joan. To me it was almost like a miracle, as I had been told by western consultants to live with the pain as best I could. This meant taking at least 12 painkillers a day and the prognosis was that I would eventually end up in a wheel chair. Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung must be one of the greatest arts available today, it is such a pity that Western doctors are not more open to its benefits. Surely in helping people to become pain-free and reducing depression, western medicine should explore all possibilities.
At Joan's invitation Master Wong has conducted three W/E courses in the past 18 months here in Ireland with another scheduled in March. She was also very honoured to be accepted as a student instructor by Master Wong and was given permission last year to teach Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung in Ireland. An honour more revered as there are only seven instructors worldwide outside of Malaysia.
"Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung is very empowering, it works on the whole person, not just on the presenting problem, I am much more content and happy now. It is both curative and preventative and is excellent for the immune system," declares Joan.
" An interesting thing happened, after coming home from Malaysia, I went to bingo three weeks later, and hadn't been there for about four years and I won the jackpot, it was the exact amount of the loan that I had taken out to go to Malaysia in the first place. Believe it or not.!!!"
NOTE FROM JOAN: This article was first published in Kerry's Eye newspaper and Ireland's Issues magazine a few years ago. Since then, Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit has been to Ireland conducting many more hugely successful courses from weekends to the latest Valentine's week in 05. I am very honoured to be a disciple of our beloved Sifu and teaching in Ireland and London.
Smile from the Heart!
Joan.
Shaolin Chi Kung and Zen
written by Joan Browne
Practising Shaolin Chi Kung is also pracitsing Zen!
The three principal features of Zen are that it is simple, direct and effective. Shaolin Chi Kung is also simple direct and effective.
Zen can be interpreted at three levels:
Meditation
A cosmic glimpse
The Supreme Reality.
Meditation is the training of the mind to reach higher states of reality where the meditator becomes aware that he is more than his physical self.To be in meditation, the lowest meaning of Zen, is a crucial feature in chi kung practice, without this meditative state of mind it would be difficult for vital energy to flow harmoniously.
The training of energy and the training of mind in Shaolin Chi Kung have a mutually beneficial effect: when a practitioner is in a meditative state, his energy effects are enhanced, the good effects of his energy training lead him to deeper levels of consciousness where he may have glimpses of cosmic reality. As he progresses to the highest level of chi kung, he may achieve cosmic realization.
Zen teaches us to be effective, calm, mentally refreshed and alive at every moment and at the spiritual level it shows us the way to the greatest attainment any being can ever aspire to.
July 2005:
I am very pleased to include the following article written by Sifu Tim Franklin of Shaolin Wahnam UK www.shaolinwahnam.co.uk/england Tim teaches Shaolin Kungfu in the Brighton area of England.
And you thought the Shaolin Arts were just men in orange robes! Shame on you!
Missing Out On Ancient Wisdom!
Despite the resources available today, many people would still not really know what the Shaolin Arts are or how they could help them with their feelings of depression, stress, fears, anxiety, or illness, let alone that it could teach them how to defend themselves. Instead they may wrongly assume the Shaolin Arts are just a system of fighting suitable only for people that want to learn how to fight. Or they may have never heard of them. More importantly, as a result they miss out on the many ways it can be used to enhance our daily living and give us more zest and strength for our work and play.
Shaolin Kung Fu-Not Just For Fighting!
Many schools of Martial Arts today are focussed on external training methods and developing fighting skills instead of considering the internal elements found in Traditional Shaolin Arts such as meditation for mental clarity or training energy to develop internal force. Training to get big muscles or how to knock someone out in the ring has some benefits but are obviously limited in their daily application, where as developing internal energy and developing clarity of mind can help us in everything we do i.e. work, play & overcoming illness.
Why People Stay Away From Martial Arts and What They Miss Out On
Because Martial Arts are often viewed upon as violent or a way to become a better fighter, people that want to find something to help them let go of stress or maintain their youthfulness and zest then opt for arts like Yoga, or meditation or Pilates. What they don't realise is the Shaolin Arts are also designed to help you overcome stress, remain youthful, and overcome illness, in fact there is no parallel in their effectiveness.
Diluting the Art. Why People Want Quick Fix Solutions
We live in a "Fast Food" industrial world, people don't have the time or the inclination to do several hours a day training so they can sit with their legs around their ears and hum "OM". Sports like Kick Boxing or Pilates classes serve a need, they give people an accessible alternative so they can feel like they are doing something worthwhile. And indeed they are, both accessible and worthwhile and they can make you feel good. Unfortunately some Martial Art classes also come with a risk to your health and well-being.
Losing the Ancient Arts
The trouble starts when the "Real Arts" get lost or degraded and I am sorry to say this has happened to many of them. Whilst you may learn some of the beautiful patterns that were part of the Arts heritage it is unlikely you will be shown how to actually apply them to a combat situation. Instead many schools work on the method of teaching you some patterns and then you spar. During this sparring session you hope to learn how to fight, and you better learn pretty quick as well or you are going to get hit, a lot. Then you take your bruised and battered body home with you and wonder where you went wrong and how come you now get hit more often then you did before you learnt self-defence? No wonder you think Kung Fu has nothing to offer you!
As a result of the fear of getting hurt many people rightly or wrongly stay away from the Martial Arts. The problem is not in the Martial Art, many of these were great Arts, the problem is in the methodology. It is how the classes are taught, and I can't blame the schools either because in a way it is our society that has encouraged it, if not demanded it. We don't like waiting, we don't want to catch fly in a chopstick before we can accomplish anything, we want to know now! It's the fast food syndrome in us that does it. Make it quick and make it instant. And this is where we go wrong, the Arts become lost because we water them down to fit them into our schedules and busy lives. Therefore we no longer gain the real benefits the arts originally had to offer and get hurt along the way, in more ways than one.
Finding the Solution
If you want to learn a sport, skill or Art then you are best to learn from a Master of competent Instructor. One could not expect to become an expert Surgeon by watching E.R or reading the A-Z of Surgery! Neither could you reasonably expect to overcome illness, stress, depression by learning an aggressive Martial Art.
Say you want to become an expert Golfer; you wouldn't choose to take Tennis Lessons now would you? Both may be sports but one clearly will teach you the correct methods. If you want to gain the extraordinary benefits that the Shaolin Arts profess to offer then it to would be best learnt from a Genuine Master or competent Instructor in the way it was intended to be taught, not watered down to suit your whims or fancies.
Training Sparring Systematically
This is where Shaolin Wahnam stands on its own in both methodology and application. The traditional Shaolin arts that I have inherited represent the culmination of over 1500 years of innovation, experimentation, research, and cultivation. Grandmaster Wong's methodology for training sparring is systematic and effective. Many kung fu schools today lack this methodology and therefore cannot apply their techniques in sparring. Those who train diligently using an effective method have no trouble applying their Kung fu techniques in sparring. The main reason students today fail to apply their kung fu is because they lack the appropriate methods to train sparring. There are 7 steps Shaolin Wahnam students are taught so they can learn how to fight using Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu Patterns and it is easy to see why trying to jump directly from Step 1 (forms) to Step 7 (free sparring) will result in failure every time. Jumping straight into free sparring is a guaranteed way to make your sophisticated kungfu techniques feel useless. (www.zenergyarts.com)
What the Genuine School of Shaolin Arts offer.
For centuries, these arts have helped people to:
Heal a variety of illnesses, injuries, and diseases.
Enhance physical abilities beyond the norm.
Build internal force for martial arts.
Boost concentration and mental clarity.
Provide unparalleled solutions for stress.
Restore or improve sexual function.
Slow the effects of ageing and restore youthfulness.
Qigong. Another Secret of Shaolin Arts
The Shaolin Arts for many years were shrouded in secrecy and only taught to a very few of the most deserving people, monks and Generals alike. One of these secrets was the Art of Qigong. Qigong is simply another spelling for Chi Kung. Both refer to the same Chinese art, and both are pronounced as follow: chee ("cheese" without the ending); gung (rhymes with rung).
There are many different kinds, or styles of Chi Kung. A few examples are: Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung, Taiji Chi Kung, and Wild Goose Chi Kung. There are also different categories of Chi Kung, like martial Chi Kung (for martial arts) and medical Chi Kung (for healing).
Is Chi Kung like Tai Chi?
They are similar, but with some important differences. Tai Chi Chuan (also spelled Taijiquan) is a martial art. Chi Kung is an umbrella term for various energy arts that may or may not be used for martial arts purposes. If Taijiquan is practiced in the way traditional masters taught it in the past, then it makes extensive use of Chi Kung. Some Chi Kung movements resemble those of Taijiquan, whereas many other Chi Kung movements are quite different.
What are the benefits of practicing Chi Kung?
There are many wonderful benefits that people derive from practising Chi Kung, and they may be generalised into the following four categories:
Curing illness and promoting health.
Enhancing vitality and developing internal force.
Promoting youthfulness and longevity.
Calming the mind and expanding the intellect.
Many types of Chi Kung emphasise only one or two of the above categories, but few cover all four. For example, most styles of medical Chi Kung aim mainly at curing illness, and virtually all types of sexual Chi Kung emphasise promoting youthfulness.
Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung (the style taught by the Shaolin Wahnam Institute) is one of the few styles that span all four categories, making it exceedingly versatile.
Can Chi Kung help me?
Many health care professionals recommend Chi Kung as an important form of complementary medicine. Along with other kinds of Chinese medicine like acupuncture, Chi Kung is going through a period of blossoming, especially in this country and no wonder! The soothing and rhythmic movements of Chi Kung help to reduce stress, build stamina, increase vitality, and enhance the immune system. Qigong can improve cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic, musculo-skeletal, and digestive functions.
Why would I practice Chi Kung?
People who maintain a consistent practice of Chi Kung find that it helps reclaim their vitality and health, as well as speed recovery from illness. Most importantly, Chi Kung can help establish or re-establish the body-mind-spirit connection, which for many people, is an intellectual idea rather than a concrete experience.
In the end, people practice Qigong for a variety of reasons. Some choose this practice to maintain health; others to heal their bodies; still others use it to calm their minds. The overwhelming appeal of Chi Kung is that everyone can benefit regardless of athletic ability, age, ethnicity, or gender.
How is Chi Kung related to Kung Fu?
All high-level Kung Fu makes use of the training of energy to develop internal force, as well as meditation for mental clarity. Without this, a martial art remains at an external, mechanical level, considered by Chinese martial artists as "Third Class Kung Fu" The internal force developed in high-level kung fu is not dependent on physical strength or size, and does not diminish with age.
More importantly in our modern society, this same internal force can be used in daily living -- to give us more zest and strength for our daily work and play. Kung Fu training, which includes Chi Kung, enhances harmonious chi flow, thus promoting health, vitality, and longevity.
What students have said after training with Shaolin Wahnam.
My co-workers call me "Smiley". Ha-ha, .I can't help but smile! Many say I look younger! I'm losing weight too! Jeffrey Synder
It has been the pinnacle stage of my evolution and has broadened my horizons in ways I would never have thought possible. I had forgotten how much joy came with the training. I am still struck by how revolutionary it all still seems to me, how I had never come across anything like this in any other art before. Darryl Collette
Now I feel like a new person, full of energy and vitality. My friends and family saw the difference in me, they said, "You are energetic now". Cahyadi Kong
Final Word
The Shaolin Arts are more than a system of fighting. They are the crystallisation of 1500 years of Eastern Wisdom. They offer you the chance to develop your mind, body and spirit, to defend yourself using Genuine Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi Chuan, to overcome stress, illness and depression, and experience joy and happiness. As indeed have over 2000 of Sifu Wong's students worldwide.
Sifu Tim Franklin Shaolin Wahnam Institute - UK
Since the late eighties Sifu Tim Franklin has been deepening his skills in the Martial and Healing Arts. His passion for health and happiness has been the driving force behind his training with the Shaolin Wahnam Institute- The Path to increased Energy, Health & Happiness.
Sifu Tim Franklin says the following about Shaolin Wahnam:
"It was a Divine moment when I came across a poster advertising the Shaolin Arts. But what got me hooked was what happened during my first class. Unlike my former training in Martial Arts the students and I did not run around the room doing press-ups and building up a sweat but stood still with a smile on our faces. From the onlookers perspective the sight would have been odd to say the least, but what I experienced was a deep sense of joy and purpose.
I had found what I had been searching for and it was right on my doorstep. I could never have imagined that standing still in a posture could be so hard and at the same time be so profound. They say when the student is ready the master will appear, never has a truer word been spoken.
Shaolin Wahnam and Sifu Wong have readily given me so many gifts, bundles of joy, a wonderful opportunity to walk the path of the Shaolin Arts and the belief that I can make a difference."
Sifu Tim Franklin holds classes in the Brighton/Worthing area of England. For further details on classes you can contact him on 01903 530306 or 07950 365879, e-mail: zbtimfranklin@hotmail.com
